Eternity Unbound
by Edenfire
Summary: The Rikti have returned. Lord Recluse has promised them the world, and guarantees success. The only thing standing in his path is a reckless group of young heroes, and one of them harbors a dark secret that could spell the end for them all. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1: Resurgence

DISCLAIMER: As much as I wish to the contrary, I do not own City Of Heroes or any of its trademarked characters. All original characters are used by permission, and are in some fashion the trademark of the game's players who painstakingly made them and put up with my shenanigans in our Super Group.

* * *

On May 23rd, 2002, a light appeared in the skies above Paragon City. With its arrival, came a fierce alien race, calling itself the Rikti. From all over the world, people joined in arms to repel the threat. From all walks of life, creeds, colours, for one short moment, the Earth was united. From this unified world, certain individuals stepped forward to front the battle, with abilities normal people did not possess. They bore the brunt of the onslaught, took the largest sacrifices, and in all, made the largest impact, eventually turning the tide. The Rikti fell back in such a hurry, pockets of their army were left on Earth, fending for themselves against the ever-growing odds against them.

Since, Paragon City has fallen from its pedestal as a world-famous center of the Eastern-Seaboard's commerce, to become a metropolis filled with gangs, corrupt corporations, drug-pushing thugs, and monstrous beings of both scientific and supernatural origin.

This is Paragon City, City Of Heroes.

* * *

Eternity Unbound  
Issue One: Resurgence

* * *

The bank alarms rang out a deafening wail. Blaring its banshee cry, it sounded in pattern with the flashing lights that accompanied it. A few feet below them, members of a gang calling themselves The Skulls waved guns around. Spiked bats and crowbars in hand, they stood guard over the exits to the building, constantly switching their gazes between the hostages that huddled in crowded corners away from them, and the menagerie of growing Police forces that were beginning to pool outside.

"Hey, Ripper," one of them called, craning his neck to see the heists ringleader stuffing bundles of cash into a duffel bag, "I think they want to negotiate!"

The thug smiled under the white skeletal makeup that dominated his face. He strode up to the door, and waved at the officers, then opened the door enough to slide his head out, "Yes," he called out.

A megaphone clicked on, and the officer began to speak, "This is Paragon City Po--"

"I know who you are! The cars and loud, obnoxious, and sloppy tactics gave that away before you even opened your mouth!"

The officer swallowed his pride. This wasn't he time or place for retaliation of that type, "What would it take for us to negotiate the release of those hostages? Atlas Park is at your disposal!"

Ripper held up a finger, and nodded to him, smiling, "Just a minute," he called back, sarcasm falling from his mouth as he tried not to laugh. He closed the door, and shook his head at the other gang members, numbering almost a dozen and a half, "What do we want," he asked them," pointing a thumb back to the windowed door, "I mean, besides the money."

One thug piped in, "Nothing, just the money!"

The group laughed in unison. Another jumped in, "However much superdyne they have locked up in their HQ. I'll give up the hostages for that!"

Again, they erupted in laughter, although more than three fourths of them gave the idea serious thought.

Ripper shook his head, "I wish, but we can't give up the bargaining chips." He pointed his gun towards one of the hostages, and clicked back the hammer. He waited until the shaking woman began to quiver and cry, before pulling the gun from her, aiming it towards the ceiling.

"You have one minute to comply," the officer said, then clicked off the megaphone, and set it into his patrol car, before turning away from the bank and looking to another cop, the two soon began to converse amongst themselves.

Ripper raised an eyebrow in unabashed shock, "How dare that civil servant son of a bitc--" He halted mid thought, before he turned back to the rest of his Skulls. For a long moment, he stood before them, wide-eyed, mouth open, "We need to hurry," he said, a sense of finality in his words, as he jogged back to the bank vault, and started to stuff money into the knapsacks.

The others didn't hesitate to ask why. They knew something wasn't right. The police seemingly turning their backs on a dozen and a half hostages inside a bank in the process of being looted? That failed to bode well for anyone of them.

Ripper stood tall, holding a hand up. His minions halted their action, falling silent. With the exception of the sniffling hostages, it was dead quiet. The alarm had turned off. Though the lights still flickered and flashed, there was no sound to accompany it.

"Weapons ready boys," Ripper said quietly, "Everyone gather between the hostages and the vault. Make a circle and be on guard."

Crack…

It was already too late.

Crack..!

Ripper looked to the western facing wall. It shook, as plaster began to shake and crumble behind it. He aimed his gun at it, and the rest of the Skulls followed in motion.

Sweat furrowed on his brow as his hands began to shake a bit, but he forced his aim to stay on target. That's when the entire building started to quake. The vibrations in the floor rattled his legs, and threatened to knock him over.

Then he noticed the elegant chandelier above them. And it wasn't moving at all. The building wasn't shaking at all, and while the wall across from them was perceived as the initial threat, he didn't consider an attack coming from two fronts. The tiling of the floor split form under him, as a blue beam of light tore through the plaster blocks, and sent him into the ceiling.

The Skulls turned, their weapons waving in every direction as they tried to pin down the enemy. There guns and bats whipped from left to right, bearing between the now gaping maw in the floor and the wall, which still threatened to collapse. And then it did.

"There's more than enough for all of us, so someone try to keep count. I hate when we forget the one who hides under the teller's desk!" The dust from the now toppled wall settled across the room, revealing three costumes heroes, standing tall behind the wreckage.

A smaller one, adorned with what appeared to be blue and pink butterfly wings, and cropped white hair, smiled before holding high her bow and arming it with an arrow, "Zenu, you get way too unprofessional whenever we do something this easy."

"Let the man have his fun, E'lara," another voice said, echoing at first as another tall, broad-shouldered man rose from the hole in the floor, "We usually have to deal with threats. This one is more like recess." He was Epoch. The groups leader. By far the most intimidating, his appearance was almost devilish; a long black cape and hood that shrouded his crimson eyes and black-wrapped face mask. His arms and shoulders were adorned with spiked pads, as red as his glaring eyes.

Behind him, a red-headed, green-and-white clad man appeared, leaping up from the hole behind his leader. He wore a smug grin, and a pair of heavy gauntlets on his hands. They smoked lightly, wearing off the heat of the burst of energy he had fired through the floor. He wiped a hand against his chest to help cool it against his comparatively cooler clothing, his hand grazing a Celtic knot design that adorned the front of his costume, "I wouldn't even call it recess, boss," he sighed, "This is more like a lunch break. There's hardly enough of them to even think of fighting back. We could leave and let Zenu take care of them by his lonesome."

"Oh can we just can it and hurt them before they pick their jaws up from the floor and do something productive," the other heroine standing beside Zenu asked, as she threw her head back despondently, "there's a lot of City out there that still has things for us to do."

She was An'senthar, unofficially, the group's resident medicinal practitioner. She stood leaning against the 'frame' of the broken wall, hands crossed, and looking impatient.

"Alright, cool it," Epoch finally agreed, "Just get these guys before they hurt a civilian."

The redhead shrugged, and lifted his hand, aiming his clenched fist at the first thug he saw with a handgun, "Roger that, boss," he said, and fired another blast of blue energy. It tore through the room, and struck the robber in the chest, knocking him through the air and straight into Zenu's arms.

Zenu grabbed the man, and pushed his unconscious body back into the main mass of Skulls. As they either hit the floor, or scattered out of the way, Zenu closed in, randomly attacking whichever of the thugs was close enough to hit. Trained in the martial arts, he quickly hit the four men closest to him with swift kicks and punches to their joints, one by one, they began to hit the ground, out of commission.

The other eight men, bore their weaponry. Nails embedded in bats, knives, and other such implements. Epoch was next to take offensive, raising his gloved hands above his head, and spreading a haze throughout the room. As it reached the Skulls, their movements slowed to a margin of what might be considered 'normal'.

E'lara took aim. She pulled back on the string of her bow, and released. The arrow cut through the air with a strict "thwip" and it stuck in the thigh of one of the slowed Skulls. The crook hit the floor, clutching at his wound.

"Nice shot," Edenfire nodded, as his hand charged with another pulse of blue energy. He cracked it alongside another thugs head, and watched him sail into a wall, "I don't recall us saying 'no kill shots', but that doesn't make it any less pretty."

E'lara spun the bow around on her wrist. As it completed its circle back to it's upright position, she caught it on the chin of another gang member, "Actually, I missed," she replied, trying not to sound too smug. She leapt into the air and kicked her foe in the chest with her slender leg. "I was aiming a bit higher."

Eden' grimaced, he turned away from her, and fired another shot at one more adversary. "Glad your aim is a little rough then," he replied, before his voice fell quieter to keep his sarcastic comment to himself, "Remind me not to piss you of…"

He felt a heavy bass noise behind him, and for an instant, his vision blurred and faded to white. He hit the ground, as one of the last Skulls raised his nailed bat high into the air, one of the protruding nails dripped crimson from where it penetrated his back. The thug laughed, rewarding himself as being the only man of his troupe to score a body count, and swung downwards.

Epoch swooped in. He leaped into the air, grabbed the man by stomach with both arms, and dragged him to the floor, "An'," he cried out, his eyes wandering the bank for the young woman, "Eden's hurt!" His attention fell back to the thug, dazed underneath him. He growled to himself, before throwing a heavy punch into the man's face, knocking him unconscious and breaking his nose.

An'senthar flew towards Edenfire, her wings fluttering like a hummingbird's as she sped across the floor to him. Her friend lay on his stomach, eyes closed, a small hole in the back of his Irish-motif outfit, a trickle of blood pouring out, "It isn't bad," she called back, "Not deep enough to puncture a lung, but it was on target to do so!"

Eden' smirked, the hit had winded him, and he found it hard to breath. That aside, he knew the cracking he had heard in his vertebrae wasn't the healthy kind. At worst, he had nerve damage, at best, something to decorate with a band-aid. "Stupid dropouts," Eden coughed, forcing a breath, "Can't even afford to buy longer nails…"

An' smiled. "Wisecracking degenerate," she teased, as a bright green glow fell from her hands and covered his body. In an instant, his puncture wound was healed, nothing more than a tear in his uniform, and a light bloodstain. The green shimmered and sparkled, "There, you should feel nice and minty fresh," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Is that why it's green," Eden' mused, lazily hopping to his feet. He gave her a half-smile, and messed up her hair with his hand as he stepped past, "Thanks doc, I owe you one!"

He headed back to his friends, but stopped cold as he looked around. The rest of the Skulls were on the ground, motionless. Zenu stood over them, dropping the last of them from the grasp he held on his jacket collar, and letting him hit the ground, "I thought this was a team effort," Zenu cried out, his joking accusation echoing through the now quiet room.

Epoch shrugged, "Well, we're done here," he told his team, "People are safe, bad guys aren't moving, no money is missing, and Eden isn't dead. Again."

The faces turned to Eden. He gave them an innocent look and shrugged, "Luck of the Irish," he said, sounding more of a question than an excuse. Even he had to agree that he was An'senthar's most common patient.

"Just quit being do reckless," Epoch said, turning back to the front door, as the others followed, "You might be a smartass, but you're our smartass."

Eden smiled. Better than a formal reprimand.

Epoch opened the front doors, and motioned for the police outside to move in for clean up. "Everyone is safe," he told the Captain on the scene, "The Skulls have been dealt with, hope you brought your share of handcuffs," He said.

The Captain extended his hand, "Thank you Epoch. You saved a lot of people, and money today, I'm sure you know it, but Paragon thanks you."

Epoch took his hand, giving it a firm shake, "You do your job, Captain, we do ours. No thanks is needed." He spoke like a true leader. Understanding and appreciative, but humble and down to earth. "We have to get going, but if you need to contact us for paperwork, you know how to get a hold of us."

The Captain nodded, and turned away, shouting orders to is men as they cautiously entered the building.

"Good work team," Epoch said, as they moved away from the building and gathered crowds. He looked over his shoulder, "we did well, you should be prou--"

A phone ringtone chimed. A music tone set to a heavy rock song.

"_I…hate…everything about you…" _The tone chirped. Edenfire pulled the phone from his belt pouch quickly, answered it, and hung it up just as quickly, and looked away, his face turning red in frustration, "Keep talking boss," he said, "It's no one important…"

* * *

Miles away, northeast of the events in Atlas Park, a rundown port town was shaded in eternal evening. It was named Siren's Call by the people of Paragon City, and given it's open face in the direction of the villain outpost known unofficially as The Rogue Isle's, located miles from the shore line, it was the home of some of the most bitter and brutal battles in all of Paragon's history. Heroes died here. Villians were brought to justice here. But to the naked eye, unknowing of its past, it was a decay of buildings and memorials. It was nothing more than a shanty town in a pre-tense, on the verge if nothingness.

On the water, tinted grey with pollution and debris, a large pod-like ship hung in the air, hovering a story above the water level, the two low-hanging, v-shaped fins on it's astern almost touched the water, only missing so by a foot at most.

Nearby, the beach teamed with black-armoured soldiers. Emblazoned with a red spider insignia on their chest, they represented the behalf of Lord Arachnos: Ruler of the Rogue Isles, and leader of The Web, a conglomerate based out of the Isles which specialized in illegal trades and black-market dealings. Recluse, himself, resided in the Isles, rarely staying far from his territory. It was not for nothing that he was wanted on almost every felony charge known on three continents.

The soldiers held their weaponry at their side. This meeting wasn't for the sake of battle, as Siren's Call was so used to seeing. This was an arranged meeting. The contingent was known as the Wolf Spiders, Recluse's cannon fodder and main army force. By Recluse's standards they were nothing more than common thugs, but they were loyal, and expendable. In his eyes, few were not.

Standing at their head nearest the water, a pale, slender woman, clad in black with a white chest plate and cape, awaited. This was Ghost Widow, one of the four generals Recluse held close to his dealings. Only she, and few others were deemed worthy enough, strong enough, of vicious enough, to serve at his side. The Ghost Widow, as her name implied, was a murderess. Cold, and calculating, she awaited. The wind off the water made her white cape bellow in the sea breeze.

"Recluse is a fool to believe they will honor their agreement," she scoffed, watching at the steely ship off shore sat motionless., "This plan will surely backfire in his face as sure as I've skinned grown men alive."

A few Wolf Spiders shuddered at the thought. By no means were they weak-stomached. They had simply seen it happen with their own eyes often enough to know the smell by heart when the act was mentioned.

The ship let off a pneumatic hiss. It shuddered, and the hull opened. With a neon glow, a ramp descended to the beach, touching down in the trash-covered sands. "Your world is still a wasteland," a disgusted voice said, garbled nearly to the point of indistinct noise, "Your Lord Recluse has summoned The Rikti. Why does he hide himself from us if he so heartily wanted our resources returned to your backwater planet?"

It had no mouth, this being, neither did the three others of his race that flanked him. He was a Rikti Headsman, a large creature the color of chewed gum. Its massive legs and arms belied is slender joints and abdomen. It lowered its stubbed beak as it gave Ghost Widow a burning stare through it's blank green eyes, and twitched its wide head between its broad, high-hanging shoulders, "What coward calls for a meeting, then decides he is too scared to attend?"

"As I recall, Lord Recluse agreed to meet your leader, C'Kelkah," Ghost Widow countered, "Yet, by the looks of your lack of ornamentation, you look to be nothing more than foot soldiers."

The Headsmen garbled again, what would have doubled as an annoyed huff, "What is it you want of our empire, human?"

"Lord Recluse would like to offer you his hand in partnership. He has come up with a plan which gives both of our respective armies what it had fought for so long to achieve."

The Rikti's eyes betrayed its voice, "I'm listening," it crowed.

Ghost Widow shrugged. The answer should have been obvious enough, "The death of our enemies, and conquest of this planet."

* * *

Coming Soon: Issue 2- Truth or Dare

Lord Recluse sets his plan to ensnare the globe within his iron fist, and his Rikti guests are impressed. Meanwhile, the heroes battle the Council, uncovering more details of Recluse's plot. Epoch struggles to keep control of his new team, and what, or who, has Edenfire so ready to resign his position and head for the Rogue Isles?


	2. Chapter 2:  Truth or Dare

Again, I don't own a house, let alone royalties on anything City of Heroes, or CoH character related. Aside from trademarked named and places, all characters are original and used by permission. This computer is copyrighted too slow. I am copyrighted all too often. 3 Days Grace lyrics of copyright of that guy in the band, and again, they ain't mine.

* * *

City of Heroes

Eternity Unbound  
Issue Two: Truth or Dare

* * *

The Rogue Isles were quiet. The normal tone of alarms ringing triggered by vandals, and glass breaking, the roar of arson fires and gun shells was nothing but a memory of nights passed. Tonight the Rogue Isles fell silent. It was on account of the otherworldly guests that now patrolled the streets, part of their treaty with Lord Recluse: in select parts of the Isles, the race known as the Rikti was the law. 

"_If headway is to be made with the Rikti, they will have to be shown that I am willing co compromise," _Recluse had said before the meeting the night prior, _"These beings want our world as much as I do. In order to ensure they know how much I want their assistance, I will share it with them."_

Ghost Widow had disagreed. The Rikti would just as soon lay waste to the world's cities as they would join arms with Recluse to share it's spoils. But to vocalize dissentful thoughts in front of Lord Recluse was nothing less than suicidal.

From inside his stronghold in Grandville, near the center of the Isles, Recluse sat at his throne, a large seat in the middle of an immense war room. His dull grey armor rested upon him as he sat patiently in his chair, the large, metallic spider-legs attached to his back clacked against the wall behind. Before him, a large circular table expanded, large enough to seat near twenty guests. This is where his illegal dealings took place. Crime lords from the world over had sat at this table, exchanged money, drugs, weaponry.

Human lives.

Tonight, it sat nine. Nearest him, Ghost Widow rested, the white of her skin-tight uniform almost threatening to set the room to light itself.

Beside her on the left, the aptly named Captain Mako. His elbows perched atop the table as he waited for Recluse's orders, his sharp army of teeth gnashed inside his lipless mouth. He was truly a shark on land, both in appearance, and more importantly, in attitude. He had left the orphanage his parents left him in as a child after several other children who teased him had turned up murdered. His blue-grey skin looked as if it were slick with water, it always did. His head, which terminated in a fin-like blade atop his skull, tilted as it peered along the table to another of his comrades.

The other side of Ghost Widow claimed Scirocco as much as the Egyptian curse of the demon Serafina claimed him. Though internally, Scirocco wished to rid himself of the curse which drove him to evil, externally it was a mute point. Under long braids he peered back at Captain Mako. Neither of them were sure wholeheartedly about this meeting. Recluse was known to keep grand schemes. But this? He smoothed out the pale and dusty Egyptian skirt he wore over his grey bodysuit and cleared his throat, quietly as possible. To attract attention to oneself while in the presence of Lord Recluse was equivalent to a funeral dirge.

To his right, Black Scorpion. A giant hulking machine, holding within its shell a man. Only his bald, angry face was visible, and with a whir and a click, his suits giant scorpion-like tail swung back and forth behind him, as if it was watching over the visitors who sat across the table.

Recluse was first to speak. His hands unfolded from under his chin as he spoke, his gravely voice hanging in the air like a curse upon those who listened. "It is… pleasant… that you have agreed to come here. That you have even had the faith in me to journey so far into my domains on simply my word is a testament to your wisdom in this venture."

"Rest assured, Lord Recluse," the garbled speech retorted, almost cutting off the end of his opening remarks. It was the voice of War Chief Kt'Mezzu of the Rikti, "Half of our warships are perched out of orbit under stealth. Should this meeting turn sour, you will reap the whirlwind of your treachery."

"I have no doubts," Recluse rebutted, "Though I can't say I didn't anticipate your actions, the power you wield would be enough to ensure even the most foolhardy of men's honesty. Now, shall we begin negotiations?"

"Recluse, know this," Kt'Mezzu said, the four members of his staff looking on from either side of him, "We do not need y our assistance in taking your planet. We only agree to your plea because you know the heroes of this world better than any. They were innovative during our last visit. And while they sacrificed of their own ilk to bring us down, we shall see to it that they do not do so again."

"Your reasoning seems fair and intelligent," Recluse said, if not demeaning on a level, "Will you give me what I seek in return?"

"Paragon City. The Statesman. And as many of his _cronies _that survive the onslaught as slaves."

Recluse nodded, agreeing to the terms he had set forth. He was pleased they had so readily agreed to his terms, "And one more thing in addition…"

The Rikti flanking Kt'Mezzu shifted uneasily. This was not part of the deal.

"I take interest in your technology," he said flatly, "Only portions of it, though, will be needed. Your ability to transcend dimensional barriers."

Kt'Mezzu hesitated. He didn't have the authority to make this kind of decision. But his shipmaster, C'Kelkah had given him authority to ensure negotiations went along without incident. "Very well," he said reluctantly, "You're goal is as necessary to outs as ours is to yours. You shall get what you ask for, providing you assist us without betraying us."

"It shall be done," Recluse assured him. "Are the terms of our business set? I deal with the heroes in your attempt to conquer earth, you make them bow to me and give me access to your technology. Amicable to us both, is it not?"

Kt'Mezzu stood from his chair, "Negotiations are complete," he agreed, "we will be in contact with you."

What little light there was in the war room dimmed, as a dark, electrically-charged portal appeared behind the Rikti group. They turned one by one, and entered it, disappearing as it faded.

The Ghost Widow spoke first, "My Lord, the creature spoke the truth. There was no deceit in his mind."

"Of course not," Recluse spat, "They have no reason to doubt my word. I've held up every promise I've made to them so far in this partnership. My word is good. Until I deem my business with them has concluded."

Captain Mako grinned, "Always scheming, eh, My Lord," he asked, a sadistic grin on his face.

Recluse didn't answer. Nothing need be said now.

* * *

"Why the Council? Why here?"

Edenfire looked back as his superior, "Hell, I don't know, Kaz'," he replied, shrugging, "Recluse is an ever-mysterious ass, that's all the reason I have for you."

Kazsuma shook his head. His red scarf bellowed behind him, shaking from its tip to the cloth mask that loosely adorned the lower half of his face. He scratched at his blonde hair before speaking again, "Exactly my point! Recluse has never held any type of affiliation with anyone other than his own Arachnos army. Why would that all change?"

Edenfire retorted slowly, "I. Have. No. Idea. But the intel is… reliable. Recluse has contacted the Council and commissioned them for some project. The project itself is pretty top secret. I guess even some of Recluse's own higher-ups don't even know the full scope of it."

Epoch snapped his fingers. He leaned against the backside of a tree from where Eden' and Kaz' were watching on over a cliff bluff. As he snapped, a flicker of fire would emerge, and die out. They were far enough from the perimeter of the Council's security cam's, and too high to be seen by ground patrols, "So, if your double-agent is so reliable, why haven't we either A; been introduced to him, or B; not seen you get really skittish whenever that dammed ring tone goes off?"

Eden' grimaced, "First, this isn't a double agent. This is an old friend, who is only looking out for their own interest. Right now, from what I've been informed, which is what _you've_ been informed, Recluse doesn't have that in mind. Besides, meeting a group of heroes on what's supposed to be fair ground would make any villain a bit scarce. Those rats might be sneaky, but they ain't dumb."

Epoch crouched, sitting near An'senthar, whom sat on the ground in front of him, "I don't like the thought of basing tactics on someone's grudge. Especially someone from the Isles."

Edenfire turned his head, "How old is this group," he asked, "We don't even have a name yet. A potentially high-ranking job throws up in your lap, and you don't even wanna grab a tissue?"

Epoch took a deep breath, but thought better of speaking. Edenfire might have been the team oddball, but he had a point. Successful missions meant being watched by government agencies, which meant better equipment, which meant faster response time, which meant less crime. "If this doesn't pan out, it's your hide."

"Epoch, I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid. You think I'd have dragged you all the way out to Striga Isle in the middle of the night for anything other than this? Or whale watching?"

Epoch squinted, "We have whales around here," he asked.

"Hell I don't know. But it'd be cool, right?"

Epoch gritted his teeth. He looked at An', who could only smile. Epoch smiled back, something infectious in her face, he decided.

"Ooohh, we hit the honey pot," Kazsuma said, looking down towards the gigantic Council base through his night vision binoculars, "We've got a Wolf Spider on the move down there."

Eden' spun about, turning from his base-facing crouch, towards Epoch and An'senthar, his knees hitting the ground, and hands raised in triumph. He couldn't help but brag a bit that he was right.

Epoch stood, An'senthar followed. He stood near the base of their outlook, and took Kazsuma's binoculars, "Hmm, tell your contact he did good," he said, moving back around towards the path that led them to their outcropping.

Edenfire opened his mouth to speak, but decided not to. He stood with Kaz' and followed.

* * *

Six Penumbra Division Council soldiers surrounded the Wolf Spider messenger as he approached the compounds front door, "I have the information from Lord Recluse," he told them. 

"Hand it over," one of the Penumbra soldiers demanded. His hand extended, as his other kept tight grasp on his sidearm. They were just as uneasy about this pseudo-alliance. Trusting anything recluse sent their way was to invite wooden horses to Troy.

The Wolf Spider shook his head, "Not until the transaction is complete," he said, "and don't think I won't destroy the information if you try and take it by force."

The soldier sighed, letting a deep breath fall from him, "Fine. The last thing I want is to be held accountable for a full-scale war between the two biggest entities in Paragon--"

"You give yourself too much credit," the Spider said, before walking past the soldier, and entering the open door the other agents guarded.

The soldier grunted, grudgingly letting the Arachnos agent pass, "Give him access to the lab," he said, his face full of anger. Hands were tied now, and it was beyond his ability to order otherwise. Not even his superiors were keen on turning down a momentary ceasefire when Recluse had offered it. Though none of them were without thoughts of a deceptive rouse on the Arachnos armies part, risking it wasn't worth the cost.

The Wolf Spider messenger walked past sentries. Defiantly, this outsider walked into the heart of the lion's den. He stopped at the last door in the hallway. It led straight into the Council's science labs, and only few, scientists aside had the clearance to enter.

The Penumbra soldier stepped up behind the Spider, and slid his passcard through the lock. It clicked. He then pressed a 15-digit code into the keypad. The lock mechanism beeped, and hissed as pistons locking the door lost pressure. They opened.

The Wolf Spider stepped forward through the door, and halted. Before him, a line of top scientists stood in a row, at attention, "At ease," the Spider commanded. They weren't under his command. He wasn't even a member of their ranks. But given the tension in the situation, they all did so, without a second thought.

"You will all follow me to the Flyer. Bring what you have been told, as per Lord Recluse's specifications. We leave shortly."

He reached into his side pack, opening a pouch on his belt. From it, he pulled a disk on a small memory card, "Half of what Rikti technology we've been given already," The Wolf Spider told the soldier, "The other half will be presented upon completion of this project."

The soldier laughed, "We were promised something of indescribable value, by Lord Recluse himself! We have remnant Rikti technology left over the their last invasion, what good is something we already have?"

He waved his hand. The soldiers accompanying him drew weapons, training them on the Wolf Spider.

The messenger smirked under his black visor, "I could spit on your floor," he said proudly, "And you could study it for years. But wouldn't you rather just take my whole head?"

The soldier paused, his hand lowered, and so did the weapons. It took a moment for his analogy to sink in, "You mean to tell me this disk contains information on technology, given to you by the Rikti themselves?"

"See for yourself," the Spider said, crossing his arms.

The soldier's heart skipped a beat. This disk could mean everything to not only the Council as a whole, but to himself as a member of it.

He fought the urge to run to the nearest console, and sat down at the chair, near the security desk. He pushed it to the lip of the drive, when something caught his eye. He looked up, to the camera of the main door, and tilted his head quizzically.

A small, demonic looking imp wobbled onto the screen, it's entire body set aflame, and it didn't react as if it felt it. It did a small flip every few feet, grinning at it's own childish actions. It looked up at the camera, and giggled, a light, baby-sounding squeal. Arms outstretched, as if expecting an embrace, it licked its lips and leapt towards the camera. It exploded on impact, destroying the remote, and sending the TV screen it reported to on the desk into a flurry of static.

The soldier forced himself to breath, "Incoming enemy combatants!"

The whole building shook, vibrating from the outside from small, but plentiful, explosions.

* * *

"Kamikaze Fire Imps," Epoch smirked, as he conjured forth another flame being, which leapt at the compound walls one after another, "Is there anything cuter?"

The exploded on contact, and it didn't take long before the wear and tear began to show on the wall, "Eden', it's cracking, fire a warning shot!"

Edenfire held his arm in front of him, bracing it with his other. He spread his legs and got solid footing, entrenching his heavy boots into the earth. A blue pulse shone on his fist, and grew, until it fired, leaving a streak of light in its wake. It collided with the building's fracture, and punched a hole straight through, "Warning shot fired, straight up their--…" he cut himself off, "Never mind."

The Imps rushed forward again, leaping onto the building, and grasping onto the small hole, their tiny hands reaching inside. Epoch held his breath, and motioned with an outstretched hand. The Imps exploded again, forcing the hole open. Large enough to fit through.

"Go!" Epoch didn't wait for them. He took to the air, racing like a bullet towards the opening, and flying gracefully through the hole. As he cleared it, and entered the room, his hands ignited again, setting itself aflame as his fist collided with one of the soldiers, "Take the Arachnos grunt! All Council members are hostiles, take them out, limit casualties!"

As the soldier sailed across the room, Epoch spun, his hand waving around a cluster of soldiers who surrounded the Arachnos Wolf Spider, in an attempt to protect him. They were quickly encircled by a circle of fire, and Epoch gave them an entertained look as it began to tighten, herding them into a smaller circle. Nearly to the point where firing in any direction with a steady hold for the recoil would almost certainly mean friendly-fire incidents. "Kazsuma, go!"

Kaz' dropped through the hole, the other members filtering through shortly behind him. He hit the ground, bounced as he impacted, and leapt into the air, foot extended. It collided with the Wolf Spider, sending him sailing from the circle, and into An'senthar's clutches.

She smiled as she caught him by the back of his vest's neck, holding him in mid-air by way of propulsion, before letting him fall back to the flooring, with a resounding _'thud!'_

"Hiya," she smiled, "I'm here to take you to a place away from the fun stuff where you can answer some questions."

He sneered under his black visor, "And I refuse. I'd rather end up jailed then dead at Recluse's feet!"

An' shrugged, "Fair enough. He's a rough guy, that Recluse. But you don't really have much of an option, friend. Either you answer to us, or you wear what Independence Port's Marcone Family Mafioso's call "cement shoes."

The Spider chuckled, "You're heroes! You don't kill people, you either save, or incarcerate them. I might be just another nameless grunt, but I'm not stupid!"

An'senthar nodded, "Fair enough, fair enough… But he might have more of an issue with that…" The pointed over his shoulder, smiling.

The Spider turned, looking behind him, as one of the Flaming Imps rushed him. It dropkicked him in the back, sending him rolling on the ground, past An', and onto his back. The Imp jumped onto him, and the Spider began to sweat from the heat of the flames, slowly smouldering though his armor and vest.

"He wants a hug," An' said, bending over and smiling again, her face just over the shoulder of the Imp.

"Fine! I'll talk!"

"Thought you might," she said, "Go sit in the corner and wait there. We'll be there in a second."

The Wolf eased a bit as the Imp jumped from him, but didn't leave his side. It grunted and pointed, hustling him to a corner of the room.

Across the room, Kaz' punched another soldier in the stomach, and as he lurched, grabbed his head and kneed him in the chin, satisfied as the Penumbra agent flipped backwards. Around them, fires raged, keeping hostiles from running, but too close to use a sidearm without danger of a ricochet.

From the hole in the wall, Edenfire perched along the breach, firing well-aimed pulses of energy whenever an agent strayed too far. Even if he didn't knock them out as he hit them, they certainly thought twice about running again.

The door to the room imploded. It fractured on its threshold, and blasted inward, as more Council soldiers thundered in.

"Cor Leonis," Eden' cried, leaping from the hole to the floor to find cover.

Epoch let his ring of fire fail and ducked behind a desk, and Kaz' leapt over the top, sliding on the ground next to him as he ducked behind the table.

Above them, fluttering on her butterfly wings, An'senthar rolled in mid-air behind a ceiling support brace, hiding in the shadows, as the Cor Leonis soldiers hefted their heavy chain guns, and firing a near endless, and deafening stream of return fire.

Eden' managed to barrel roll behind a large stack of crates as bullets whizzed by so close he could feel them. He peered around the far side of the stack and did all he could to keep his eyes inside his skull. The Cor Leonis were firing on their own Penumbra brothers.

"Higher-ups on the council must consider them forfeit," Epoch said as he heard the bodies fall over the bursts of dancing shells on the floor, "they don't know what they might have said to us--…"

He looked to Kaz', "Dammit, they'll kill the Wolf Spider!" He went from his sitting position to a crouched, ready to move, "Dead men don't talk, we need him alive!"

He took to the air, rocketing towards the ceiling, and arching to move along the roof. Bullets trailed him as he moved. He had to go faster.

Twisting in mid-flight, he spun and rolled, kicking off another support brace holding up the rafters, changing his direction and speed in a half-second. The fire was off his immediate tail, but he couldn't do this forever. He saw the Spider huddled in the corner, waving his hands at the Cor Leonis squad. Was he trying to be rescued, or waiting to a mercy killing? He had to go faster.

No matter, Epoch thought, It can't happen.

He plunged downwards, making a B-line for the Spider. He thrust his arms behind him, trying to make himself more aerodynamic. He had to go faster.

RATATATATATAT!

The Wolf Spider shook and convulsed as his body was riddled with shells. He slumped over, motionless, and Epoch cringed.

_Dammit,_ He growled. He was the main target again. And in the middle of the open, to boot.

"Fire away!"

Edenfire stood from his cover, firing shot after shot of energy blasts from his clenched fists. They wouldn't pack much punch at this rate of fire, but it would but Epoch a few seconds as the Cor Leonis soldiers multitasked targets.

Epoch sailed in a vertical 360, a large circular motion in the air, as he righted himself, and managed to ensnare the Council in another ring of flames. The heat made them reel, hefting their weapons out of the flames to better shield their faces from the heat.

Eden' reeled an arm back, tensed every muscle, and lobbed another burst into their midst. It struck one soldier, and detonated on impact, sending out a shockwave that rattled the rest of them. Disoriented, and winded, Epoch tightened the circle, cutting off their oxygen before they could catch their wind. Moments later, the Cor Leonis troops were on the ground, one after another they fell, no longer a threat for the time being.

"Kaz', Eden', disarm them. An', check the Spider," Epoch shook his head. The latter was too late to act upon.

"Nope. Nothing Epoch," An' frowned, "he's gone."

"Damn it all," he mumbled, slamming his fist into the wall, "We got nothing."

"He was here as a messanger," Kaz' said, as he pulled the last weapon from the downed Leonis, "with groups like this, they don't just talk to one another…"

Epoch nodded. He knew what Kazsuma meant, "He was delivering something. Check for papers, or hardware. Probably on a body, or in a computer."

"Aye aye, captain," Edenfire replied, beginning a search of the Wolf Spider's body, "Here's to hopin' I don't have to break out the latex gloves."

An'senthar winced, "Too far Eden'," she said, shaking her head. Something caught her eye on the computer screen as she passed. A flashing text box near a computer by the security desk, "got something," she called, sitting at the chair.

Eden looked down at the Arachnos soldier's motionless body. He shrugged and sighed, "Duty calls," he said mockingly, "Call me."

The four of them assembled near the terminal, "Well," Epoch prodded.

"I can't tell here," An' returned, "Viewing whatever this disc contains might dump the contents over the Council's mainframe. They might still get what they need, even if we have the disc. We'll have to head back to Atlas Park to check it out."

Epoch nodded, and looked to Kazsuma and Edenfire, "You heard the lady, let's rol--"

"_I…hate…everything about you! Why… do I--"_

Eden' groaned, as he picked up the phone, "Yeah?"

It dawned on Epoch and he smirked. The contact. The Rogue Isles contact Eden' knew, that explained the ring tone. This contact was another villian. _Hah. Even in his personal life he doesn't joke about his feelings as a Hero._

"We got something, yeah," Eden' turned away from his team as he spoke. He held a hand to his head to hear better, "Some disc, I guess, I'm not looking at it right this--… Uh-huh… When..? I'm in Striga, where you sent me, don't ask _where _I--… Not in 15 minutes I can't… Fine. An hour, happy? Super."

He hung up the phone, and stuffed it back into his belt. "You can handle this without me, right," he sighed, "Contact wants to meet me."

Epoch nodded, "Yeah, whatever is on this thing, if it isn't too heavily encrypted, it shouldn't pose a problem. You want someone to tail you in?"

Eden' shook his head, "It's a 'come alone or don't come at all' type of deal," he said, "Meeting up in the Pocket D. If a punch gets thrown by anyone it gets handled quicker than two shakes of a jack rabbits ass."

Epoch hesitated, mulling the options. This contact of Eden's knew his stuff. This turned into a very good-looking situation for the group. Despite their history, this insider had gained an amount of trust with Epoch, "Alright, be careful. Like I said, you might be a smartass, but you're our smartass."

Edenfire nodded, and took to the air, "Peace out y'all," he said, sounding as Caucasian as possible, before disappearing through the hole and into the Striga night air.

* * *

Nearly an hour had passed. Edenfire sat in, for all intents and purposes, a night club. The bass thumbed, and the lights flashed, pretty girls danced with drunken guys with bad pick-up lines. The main difference, he had long ago decided, was that the glass floors, while color-alternating, was the only thing keeping the patrons inside a nebula-colored landscape of nothing. All around the club called the Pocket D, was nothing but space and air, it existed in it's own dimension, hence the name.

Eden', in plain clothing, a blank black shirt, and baggy jeans, sat at the second-floor bar, and waited. The call would come in soon, asking if the coast was clear. He checked again. No one of note was nearby, or paying enough attention to raise questions.

"_I…hate…everything about you!"_

He swallowed. He knew he shouldn't, but he let the second verse in the songs ring tone follow.

"_Why… do I… love you!?"_

He took a deep breath, and answered, "Hello..?"

A female voice responded, "It's me."

Eden gave a sour look, "You lie," he said sarcastically.

"Oh stop it," she responded, "Is it clear?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning on an elbow onto the bar top, "It's always clear. This place isn't some seedy back alley in your town of St. Martial. No one is out to get you here, they wanna drink and be merry and sing off key."

There was a long pause, "This is why we don't see each other anymo--"

"I got it, I got it, double-oh seven," Eden retorted, his hand motioning with his pleas to move on, though they weren't directed at anyone.

"Good, because things have gotten pretty severe. I couldn't come alone…"

Edenfire's eyes ballooned. His fists balled and he spun around. _That was never our deal, _he screamed in his head, _one on one, or not at all, you said it yourself, Xaeda..._

He stood, and before he could get more than a few feet from his stool, he ran headlong into a black-clad man wearing an eye patch, his hair terminating in a long ponytail. His clothing resembled something a ninja might wear, of they didn't care if their face was seen. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing a whole other sleeve of tattoos up and down his arm. And then he spoke, a voice that made Eden' sneer.

"Hello, Hero," he said, "Fancy meeting you here…"

* * *

Coming Soon: Issue 3- Destined For Nothing 

The past comes back to haunt Edenfire as his contact is brought into light, as well as the history he regretfully shares with her and her companion. What hostilities lie between the three of them, and can Eden' bury them long enough to do his part in the oncoming Arachnos/Rikti onslaught?


End file.
